St Johnstone Manager Simo Valakari Acknowledges ‘Pressure Situation’ but Declares ‘No Fear’ for Tynecastle Clash

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari has stated that his players approach the upcoming bottom-of-the-table encounter with Hearts at Tynecastle with “no hiding” and “no fear.” The Saints, currently positioned second from bottom and holding a one-point lead over Sunday’s hosts, are aiming to secure their first victory in four matches. Valakari remarked, “As we always say the next game is always the biggest, so it is the biggest game of the season.” He continued, “We have put ourselves in this position and only we can take us out of this position, so we see opportunities.” Addressing their current standing, he added, “Are we happy to be in this position? No, of course not, but we are there so that is where there is no hiding, there is no fear, there is no drama. We need to face it, we need to go there to play and then see where we are.” Last weekend, Valakari’s team suffered a 3-2 defeat against St Mirren, despite having led 2-1 after 81 minutes. This result means they have recorded only one win in their last seven games. A victory for St Johnstone on Sunday would intensify the pressure on Hearts, while a defeat would cause the Saints to drop to the foot of the league table. Valakari further commented, “As always we are brave, we will see the opportunity.” He elaborated on their opponents, stating, “We are going to play against good players, a big club – if I could guess, they are not happy with their position as well and they see this as an opportunity as well.” Regarding the mental aspect, he acknowledged, “Is it a pressure situation for the players? Of course it is, that is normal how the players’ brain and mind works, but at the same time these are the moments where we see where we are, how we handle this – if you want to call negative moments.”